AAMH NEWSLETTER

The Australian Association for Maritime History

Issue 138

7th International Congress of maritime history

In conjunction with Murdoch University, the Western Australian Maritime Museum and the International Commission for Maritime History, the AAMH will be hosting the 7th ICMH in Perth from the 27th June to the 1st of July in 2016. Registrations are now open for those interested in attending this exciting and unique conference, which will look at maritime history through an interdisciplinary Inside This approach within this years theme, 'Old Issue worlds, new worlds? Emerging themes in maritime history.' Pg.4 The New As well as bringing together maritime history Antarctic Ice Breaker academics and enthusiasts from around the globe, the conference will include key note speakers such as Dr Yang-wen Zheng a Pg.6 Take a look at the perfect leading Economic Historian from the Maritime Day in Fremantle University of Manchester, Professor Lars Scholl who is president of the IMEHA and a Pg.8 The future for the SS former director of the German Maritime United States looks grim Museum, and will also include a tour of HMAS Stirling. For more information and to register for the Pg. 10 HMAS Adelaide conference head to the website: commissioned www.icmh7.com.au

page 1 President's report from the agm

Reflecting back on 2015, members I have been will recall that a special issue of The reporting since Great Circle celebrated some less 2013 on how well known aspects of William the AAMH is Dampier’s extraordinary life. My co hosting with thanks to Mack McCarthy, Howard Murdoch Gray and Ian Chambers for their University the wonderful contributions. The Great International Circle goes from strength to Maritime strength. Next year will see another History special issue to celebrate the 400th Association’s congress in WA in 2016. anniversary of Dirk Hartog’s landing Our Association is the underwriter for in Australia. the event and I am pleased to say that over 70 people from all over the world Held on the last day of October, have nominated to present papers so Maritime Day at Victoria Quay was a far. Many others are just coming to public event organised by the hear these papers and network with the Company of Master Mariners and world’s leading maritime historians. I hosted by Fremantle Ports and the urge members to come along to the . My thanks to conference. There is a special website Fremantle Ports for sponsoring the for the conference and details can be AAMH booth. I call upon other found via our own website. states to host a similar event to bring together maritime industries Finally and most importantly I wish to and the community. thank Malcolm, John and all the committee for their contribution in 2015 There is another strong field for the and wish the new committee my best biannual Broeze national maritime for 2016. book prize. The judging is running a little behind time and the winner will Peter be announced in 2016. The prize is equally sponsored by the AAMH and Australian National Maritime Museum, and the lucky winner will receive $2000. I regret to report that we no longer have State representatives in South Australia and Tasmania. I urge members in these States to contact me if they would like to see their State better represented in the AAMH.

The Viking Ships Museum page 2 FROM THE EDITOR

Hello all AAMH members, This issue of the newsletter is my second for the AAMH and again was such fun to put together. It has been a busy couple of months for the Association, as we celebrated Maritime Day recently in Fremantle, and also hosted the Vaughan Evans Memorial Lecture with Dr Cindy McCreery kindly delivering a fascinating talk on Queen Victoria's famous Arctic and Antarctic explorers second son, Prince Alfred. These of the 19th and 20th centuries. The last few months have really flown Viking Ships Museum in Oslo by, and it got me thinking as to contains three such ships and the where I was this time last year. If Oseberg Ship dating back to 820 is you caught my previous newsletter, one of the best preserved Viking you might remember that this time Ships in the world (pictured below). The Fram Museum also located in Oslo, showcases the Fram, a Norwegian ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic (pictured below). Although expensive, Norway truly is a spectacular country full of fascinating maritime history and I would encourage anyone with a passion for it to take a visit. Lastly, I hope you all enjoy this issue of the AAMH

The Fram and please last year I was living in the contact me beautifully scenic Scandinavian for any country, Norway. Norway is famous inclusions for its mountains, hiking and ski for the next sports, but it is also known for its newsletter. rich maritime history. There are several museums dedicated to this Alex aspect of its history from the boats of the Vikings right through to its page 3 The new Australian Antarctic ship as one of seven nations who have a territorial claim over antarctica, australia's long and historic connection with the southern continent has fostered a weALth of scientific knowledge. This continued connection was cemented when the Prime Minister announced that a new, custom built icebreaker will be built for Australia’s Antarctic program built by Damen Shipyards. It is reported to be state of the art, including a multi-beam bathymetric echo sounder to enable seafloor mapping and will carry portable and flexible science laboratories. Online publisher Marinelink reported that the new icebreaker will be superior to the existing Aurora Australis which has been in service Source: AWM since 1989. The as yet unnamed Royal Australian Navy Tank Landing- ship will have a maximum speed of Ship HMAS Labuan built in 1943 and 16 knots, be 156 metres long with the ex herring boat HMAS Wyatt Earp capacity to carry 96 containers and (pictured) which was built in 1919. have a 1.65 metre icebreaking The programme has four key goals capacity. including; maintaining the Antarctic Since its inception in 1947, the Treaty System and enhancing Commonwealth’s Antarctic program Australia's influence in it, protecting has operated a range of ships the Antarctic environment, including the Second World War understanding the role of Antarctica in the global climate system and undertaking scientific work of practical, economic and national significance. The Australian Antarctic Program is headquartered in Kingston, Tasmania but maintains Casey Station, Davis Station and Mawson Station as permanently manned sites on the Aurora Australis Antarctic continent. page 4 Vaughan Evans Memorial Lecture

Dr Cindy McCreery and Andrew, Sally May (Curator of maritime history) and Peter Ridgway (President of AAMH). The Vaughan Evans Memorial focused on cartoons of women in Lectures are one of two annual late eighteenth-century England. lectures the AAMH hosts each year. Her recent journal articles and Beginning in 1994, the Vaughan book chapters examine naval Evans Lectures have become a sociability in the nineteenth- fantastic tradition that brings expert century Asia Pacific region, the speakers to different places around role of the sea in shaping the the country each year. This year Dr Australian settler experience as Cindy McCreery presented “The Sailor well as colonial responses to Prince who got shot: Prince Alfred, Prince Alfred’s royal tours. She is HMS Galatea, and Australia's First currently drawing these themes Royal Tour, 1867-68” at the Western together in a book on Prince Australian Maritime Museum on the Alfred’s global voyages in HMS 20th of November. Galatea (1867-71), and the role of Dr McCreery is Senior Lecturer in the British princes and navy officers in Department of History at the University shaping responses to the of Sydney, where she teaches nineteenth-century British empire. eighteenth and nineteenth-century Her lecture gave an insightful look European history as well as the history at Prince Alfred, as the first of Britain and its empire. Dr McCreery member of the royal family to visit obtained her BA degree from Yale Australia as a Officer. University and her Master’s and PhD After the lecture members joined degrees from the University of Oxford. Dr McCreery for dinner at a Her first book, Ports of the World, restaurant in Fremantle. We urge examined engravings of port cities other states interested in holding held in the collection of the National the lecture next year to get in Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Her touch with the AAMH. second book, The Satirical Gaze, page 5 the perfect Maritime Day

The President on duty at the AAMH booth. A sunny sky greeted the crowds at this year’s Maritime Day at Victoria Quay. Plenty of music, dancing, parades, industry displays and a very prominent contribution from the Royal Australian Navy. The crowds enjoyed Fremantle Ports large historic photographic display, vintage vehicles and the WA Museum’s historic boats. The STS Leeuwin was alongside the wharf and plenty of containerships came and went during the day to add colour. The AAMH had posters and free copies of the Newsletter for visitors. Many thanks to members Sally May, John Spurling, Mack McCarthy, Malcolm Tull, Michael Sturma and Peter Ridgway for manning the booth. We also thank Fremantle Ports for sponsoring the AAMH’s booth.

Free harbour rides! One of the many RAN displays.

page 6 Colour from the Rottnest Island ferry company (the one on the left is meant to be a Rottnest Island Quokka!)

Naval Service.

STS Leeuwin

page 7 SS United States faces the Powering through the water in its heyday. Getty scrapheap Images.

A historic luxury passenger liner that the group will have no choice but to ferried presidents, superstars and negotiate the sale of the ship to a royalty between America and responsible recycler. Europe faces a future of the The 990-feet-long SS United States junkyard. launched in 1952 after a secret Cold The titanic sized SS United States War project to build the world's fastest still holds the speed record for a ship. It once boasted three orchestras crossing between the US and Britain on board and a stellar list of by a passenger ship, but the SS passengers including Marilyn Monroe, United States Conservancy Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando, the Duke organisation can no longer afford and Duchess of Windsor and four the $60,000 a American Presidents: Harry Truman, month it costs Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy to dock the and a young Bill Clinton on his way to ship on the study at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Delaware Built using largely aluminium to make River in it lighter and faster, the SS United Philadelphia. States is just 101 feet wide - just thin Unfortunately enough to be able to pass through the it rests, empty docks of the Panama Canal with two and rusting, feet of clearance on either side. She and made her maiden voyage on July 3, endeavours by 1952, crossing the Atlantic from the the group to Ambrose lightship at New York bring in Harbour to Bishop Rock off Cornwall. investors have However the advent of passenger jets failed. Unless and commercial airlines meant the age this changes

Rusting away in Philadelphia. Amy Stock Photos.

page 8 of the passenger liner died out in the 1960s and the SS United States was retired in 1969. It has been a battle to keep her afloat ever since. By Barney Henderson for The Telegraph, Edited by Crowds cheer the SS United States as she arrives Alex RIdgway. in Southhampton after claiming the Blue Riband. Getty Images.

The South Australian History Hub

The South Australian History Hub is an interactive online way of engaging with the history of the state. This site contains the stories of South Australia's people, places and events. Plenty of maritime history can be found on the site. AAMH member Robert Sexton has contributed a summary of SA’s maritime history in the broader Australian context. Another member, James Hunter has contributed an item on McLaren Wharf which was the first element of maritime infrastructure established at Port Adelaide following the port's removal from its initial site at ‘Port Misery’ to the location it presently occupies. See http://sahistoryhub.com.au/

page 9 HMAS Adelaide commissioned

On Friday 4 December the Royal Australian Navy’s newest ship, HMAS Adelaide, was commissioned into service at Garden Island, Sydney. Adelaide is the second of HMAS Adelaide - Captain Ray Leggatt RAN two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) built for the RAN. possible draft to manoeuvre in littoral waters and ports, they can The Commissioning Ceremony was deploy an embarked force of over convened in Adelaide's aircraft 1,000 personnel and equipment, hangar deck, and was attended by landing ashore via landing craft or the Governor-General, His helicopters. In addition to two Excellency General Sir Peter surgical operating theatres, the Cosgrove, together with the Minister LHDs have an eight bed Critical for Defence, Senator Marise Payne, Care Unit, resuscitation, and a and the Chief of Navy, Vice variety of wards, pathology, Tim Barrett. radiology, x-ray, pharmacy and Adelaide and her elder sister, the dental facilities. The LHDs will serve LHD HMAS Canberra, are the as multi-task platforms, and offer a largest ships to ever serve in the valuable capability for Humanitarian RAN, at 27,000 tonnes Assistance and Disaster Response displacement. The 230 metre long (HA/DR) in Australia and across LHDs are amphibious assault ships. Australia’s region of interest. Designed with the shallowest The LHDs are of a Spanish design, based on the Spanish Navy’s Juan Carlos class, with the hulls constructed by the national shipbuilder Navantia in its shipyard at Ferrol in northern Spain. The hulls were then transported to Williamstown Dockyard in Melbourne, where BAE Systems as the prime contractor undertook the finalisation of systems fit-out and certification with the RAN.

HMAS Adelaide's Ship's Company' cheer ship' during their HMAS Adelaide is commanded by Commissioning ceremony, alongside Garden Island, Sydney.

page 10 Captain Paul Mandziy RAN. In his signifying Adelaide's entry into naval capacity as Commanding Officer service. Captain Mandziy said it was a historic The capable air-land-sea day for his ship and the nation; "This is amphibious asset marks the a proud and momentous occasion that transformation of Navy capability. symbolises the culmination of the The LHDs are the next generation of large amount of time, support and Navy ships and are the first ships in hard work that has gone into realising a major fleet expansion. Over the this capability," coming decades, the Navy will Captain Mandziy added that, "Our undergo its most significant period work doesn't stop with commissioning. of recapitalisation since World War In the New Year we will conduct II, with new submarines, frigates, further trials at sea before offshore patrol vessels and other commencing our work-up cycle." And specialist vessels. In 2016, the first that "It is humbling to bring back the of three Hobart Class Destroyers proud name Adelaide into the Fleet for will also join the fleet; and an a third time." announcement is expected on twin Around 1,000 guests made up of replenishment and fuel tanker ships family, industry and government that will replace the current HMAS representatives from Australia and Success and Sirius. Spain watched the proud by AAMH Vice President and NSW Commissioning crew of Navy, Army Councillor, LCDR Chris Maxworthy and Air Force members march RANR. onboard and saw the being raised for the first time,

The Governor General of Australia, His Excellency General, the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC, (Retd), Minister for Defence, Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, Seaman Maritime Logistics Personnel Operations Sahara McLellan, Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN and Commanding Officer HMAS Adelaide, Captain Paul Mandziy, CSC, RAN, cut the commissioning cake after the Commissioning ceremony of HMAS Adelaide, alongside Garden Island, Sydney.

page 11 The AAMH Team

Committee Editors President The Great CIrcle Peter Ridgway Michael McCarthy [email protected] [email protected] Shipwreck Galleries, Cliff Street, Vice President Fremantle, WA Chris Maxworthy [email protected] Book Reviews Editor Dr Howard Gray Treasurer [email protected] Malcolm Tull P.O. Box 1559, Geraldton, WA, 6530 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Secretary Alexandra Ridgway John Spurling [email protected] [email protected] 7 Sinian Crescent, Willetton, WA, 6155

State Representatives New South Wales Chris Maxworthy Northern Territory Paul Clark Queensland Ian Jempson South Australia TBA Tasmania TBA Victoria Mark Howard Western Australia Graeme Henderson

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